Dick Spotswood: Marin candidates lining up for June primary election

The filing deadline for the June 2 statewide primary election is approaching fast. Potential candidates need to finalize their plans and make certain that they have sufficient financing in place to mount a winning campaign.

The filing of declaration of candidacies opens on Feb. 9 and continues through March 6. If an incumbent doesn’t file for reelection by the March 6 deadline, nominations remain open through March 11. That’s pertinent in the race for Marin’s Novato-centered District 5 seat on the Board of Supervisors, where incumbent Eric Lucan won’t run again. He’s a declared candidate for state Assembly.

The marquee race is for governor of California. The field isn’t yet firm but so far in both parties it’s a lackluster group. Where are yesterday’s standouts like Jerry Brown, Earl Warren or even Pat Brown when we need them?

On the statewide ballot, there are open positions for lieutenant governor. Candidates include two people with Marin ties. Sausalito Councilmember Janelle Kellman and former Novato mayor Josh Fryday (now living in Davis) are running. A slew of candidates is vying to move up the greased pole of statewide politics to fill the Golden State’s other constitutional offices: attorney general, controller, secretary of state and insurance commissioner.

Incumbent state Assemblymember Damon Conolly is set to making an effort to win the North Bay/North Coast state Senate to succeed Sen. Mike McGuire, who is making a run for U.S. Congress. So far, it appears Connolly will be the only Democrat running, though he’ll face a GOP opponent in the race for the Senate’s “deep blue” District 2 seat.

The race for the Marin-Central Sonoma Assembly District 12 seat is highly contested. Lucan will be joined by at least three elected municipal council members: Rohnert Park’s Jackie Elward, Corte Madera’s Eli Beckman and Holli Thier from Tiburon.

Elections for Marin’s five-member county Board of Supervisors will occur in San Rafael-based District 1 and in Novato’s Fifth District. If no candidate achieves a majority of the June primary vote, then the two candidates with the largest vote face off in the Nov. 3 general election.

District 1 incumbent Mary Sackett, current president of the board, will seek reelection to a second four-year term. No one has publicly surfaced to run against her, but a dark horse challenger is always an option.

District 5 will see a barnburner of an open contest with three first-rate candidates, each with substantial community support. They include Novato school board trustee Magali Limenta, businessman and celebrity chef Curtis Aikens and Andy Podshandley, owner of Novato’s Trek Winery and event hall.

That race lost a superb candidate when past Novato Councilmember Mark Milberg unexpectedly died from natural causes on Oct. 13.

Also on the June ballot and likely to be unopposed for reelection is Marin Assessor-Recorder-Clerk Shelly Scott, District Attorney Lori Frugoli, Sheriff-Coroner Jamie Scardina and Superintendent of Education John Carroll.

Since state law encourages cities/towns, boards of education and special purpose districts to combine their governing board elections on November ballots, the 2026 June primary ballot will be shorter than in the past.

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I recently wrote about the failure of 13 Marin school districts and the County Office of Education to file a disclosure of employee total compensation as requested by the State Controller. Marin County Superintendent of Schools John Carroll promptly replied that his office has now posted the missing data.

“We contacted the Controller’s office and found out what had caused the issue: The contact information that the State Controller had for us was outdated so their requests went to an email address that is probably inactive, likely an employee who had retired. … In order to prevent the problem in the future, we have confirmed a correct recipient address with the Controller and added an alert to our business office calendar to make sure we provide that data on time in the future.”

Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley writes on local issues Sundays and Wednesdays. Email him at spotswood@comcast.net.